When veterinarians kill - on applied ethics and its relation to legal and moral norms

摘要

The European bodies in charge of veterinary education, FVE and EAEVE, have declared ethics as a "basic science". The aim of the paper is to show how ethics fits into the education of veterinarians and why it is helpful, if not necessary, to deal with it for professionals. Several so-called "day one competences" are based on specific ethical operations. The paper gives a precise definition of ethics in relation to neighbouring subjects such as legal and moral reasoning. It explains how ethics can be applied in specific sets of conflict that veterinarians may face. The findings are exemplified by a paradigmatic case: The tricky task of deciding whether (or when) an animal should be euthanized demands familiarity with basic ethical categories such as values. These values are explained in the context of varying moral and legal traditions within Europe. This should demonstrate how concrete decision-making can be based on ethical considerations.